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ME II
User Manual
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Paramount Fitness ME II, MX+, MYT User Manual

The Paramount Robotic Telescope System
User Guide
Revision 1.94 August, 2015
Copyright 2015 Software Bisque, Inc. All rights reserved.
Paramount User Guide
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Software Bisque. The software products described in this document are furnished under a license agreement or nondisclosure agreement. They may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license or nondisclosure agreement. The purchaser may make one copy of the software for backup purposes.
No part of this manual and/or databases may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including (but not limited to) photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, for any purpose other than the purchaser's personal use, without the express written permission of Software Bisque, Inc.
Software Bisque 862 Brickyard Circle Golden, CO 80403-8058 USA Web Site: http://www.bisque.com
The Paramount ME, Paramount ME II, Paramount MX, Paramount MX+, Paramount MYT, Bisque TCS, MKS 4000, MKS 5000, and TheSkyX Professional Edition Astronomy Software are trademarks of Software
Bisque, Inc.
All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used solely for identification.
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Table of Contents
Telescope Operation Disclaimer ................................................................................................................... 8
Sun Warning .................................................................................................................................................. 8
The Paramount Robotic Telescope System .................................................................................................. 9
Paramount Model Comparison ............................................................................................................... 12
Optional Accessories ............................................................................................................................... 14
Getting Help ................................................................................................................................................ 15
What You Need to Know ............................................................................................................................. 15
Coordinate Systems ................................................................................................................................ 16
The Horizon Coordinate System ......................................................................................................... 16
The Equatorial Coordinate System ..................................................................................................... 17
Hour Angle .......................................................................................................................................... 18
Local Sidereal Time ................................................................................................................................. 19
Atmospheric Refraction .......................................................................................................................... 19
Polar Alignment Basics ............................................................................................................................ 20
Homing .................................................................................................................................................... 22
Labeling the Home Position on the Sky Chart ..................................................................................... 23
Physically Marking the Home Position ................................................................................................ 24
Synchronization ...................................................................................................................................... 25
Best Synchronization Practices ........................................................................................................... 26
Step by Step Synchronization ............................................................................................................. 26
Session to Session Pointing Repeatability ........................................................................................... 27
Making Sure Synchronization Is Correct ............................................................................................. 28
The Local Celestial Meridian ............................................................................................................... 29
Maintaining Accurate Time ................................................................................................................. 30
Parking the Paramount ........................................................................................................................... 31
Parking from TheSkyX Professional Edition ........................................................................................ 31
Defining the Park Position ................................................................................................................... 32
Park Position Rules .............................................................................................................................. 32
Audible Control System Feedback ...................................................................................................... 32
Visual Control System Feedback ......................................................................................................... 35
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Through the Mount Cabling ................................................................................................................ 35
Packing List .................................................................................................................................................. 41
Box 1 Contents ........................................................................................................................................ 41
Important Packing Material Notes ...................................................................................................... 43
Box 2 Contents (Accessories Box) ........................................................................................................... 44
Locating Your Serial Numbers ............................................................................................................. 47
Paramount and Software Serial Number Registration ........................................................................... 48
Unpacking the Paramount .......................................................................................................................... 48
Your Safety is Paramount ........................................................................................................................ 48
Paramount ME II Unpacking Insert ..................................................................................................... 49
Paramount MX Unpacking Insert ........................................................................................................ 50
Paramount MX+ Unpacking Insert ...................................................................................................... 51
Paramount MYT Unpacking Insert ...................................................................................................... 52
Packing the Paramount for Transport .................................................................................................... 54
Paramount Components ............................................................................................................................. 55
Paramount ME II Front View ................................................................................................................... 56
Paramount MX Front View ..................................................................................................................... 57
Paramount MX+ Front View ................................................................................................................... 58
Paramount MYT Front View .................................................................................................................... 59
RA Worm Block Cover ......................................................................................................................... 59
Payload Mounting Plate (Versa-Plate) ................................................................................................ 60
Paramount Versa-Plate Knobs ............................................................................................................ 63
Large Dovetail Accessory Rail (Paramount ME II only, Optional) ....................................................... 68
Instrument Panel ................................................................................................................................. 68
RA Worm Block Cover ......................................................................................................................... 72
RA Cable Conduit ................................................................................................................................ 72
RA Gear Cover (ME II Only) ................................................................................................................. 72
Dec Cable Conduit ............................................................................................................................... 72
Right Ascension Carrying Handle ........................................................................................................ 72
RA Worm Block Switch ........................................................................................................................ 73
RA Spring Plunger and Cam Stop Access Hole (Paramount ME II and MX+ Only) .............................. 77
RA Encoder Cover (Paramount ME II Only) ......................................................................................... 77
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RA Assembly ........................................................................................................................................ 77
Electronics Box .................................................................................................................................... 77
Polar Axis Adjustments ....................................................................................................................... 81
Azimuth Adjuster Knobs ......................................................................................................................... 82
Base Thrust Mounting Knobs .............................................................................................................. 84
Base Plate ............................................................................................................................................ 84
Paramount ME II Rear View .................................................................................................................... 85
Paramount MX Rear View ....................................................................................................................... 86
Paramount MX+ Rear View ..................................................................................................................... 87
Declination Carrying Handle (Paramount MX Only) ........................................................................... 88
Declination Axis Three Position Switch (Paramount MX Dec Three Position Switch) ........................ 88
Cable Conduit Access Hole and Cover ................................................................................................ 88
Right Ascension Axis Locking Hole (Paramount ME II Only) ............................................................... 89
Configurable Hard Stop Positions (Paramount ME II Only) ................................................................ 90
Declination Axis Assembly (Dec Assembly) ......................................................................................... 90
Paramount Serial Number (Serial Number) ........................................................................................ 91
Altitude Scale ...................................................................................................................................... 91
Altitude Adjuster ................................................................................................................................. 93
Counterweight Shaft ........................................................................................................................... 98
Counterweight Shaft Extension Bar (Optional) ................................................................................... 99
Counterweights ................................................................................................................................... 99
Payload Imbalance Cause and Effect ................................................................................................ 101
Balancing the Payload ....................................................................................................................... 101
Counterweight Safety Knob .............................................................................................................. 102
Paramount ME II Side View ................................................................................................................... 103
Paramount MX Side View ..................................................................................................................... 104
Paramount MX+ Side View ................................................................................................................... 105
Altitude Adjuster Thrust Knobs ......................................................................................................... 106
Wedge ............................................................................................................................................... 106
Bubble Level ...................................................................................................................................... 107
Declination Axis Locking Hole (Paramount ME II Only) .................................................................... 108
Micro Levelers (Paramount ME II Only) ............................................................................................ 108
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Hand Controller ................................................................................................................................. 110
Other Paramount Accessories .............................................................................................................. 111
USB 2.0 Cable .................................................................................................................................... 111
Hex Wrenches ................................................................................................................................... 112
Power Supply Unit (PSU) ................................................................................................................... 112
Altitude Adjuster Wrench (Paramount ME II Only) .......................................................................... 112
How To Polar Align .................................................................................................................................... 112
Rough Polar Alignment Method ........................................................................................................... 113
Step-By-Step Rough Polar Alignment ............................................................................................... 113
Accurate Polar Alignment ..................................................................................................................... 114
Using TheSkyX Pro for Precise Polar Alignment ................................................................................ 114
Using the Polar Alignment Scope ...................................................................................................... 115
The Paramount and TheSkyX Professional Edition ................................................................................... 116
Paramount Minimum System Requirements ....................................................................................... 116
First Time Paramount Setup ................................................................................................................. 117
Paramount USB Driver Installation ....................................................................................................... 117
Mac OS X ........................................................................................................................................... 118
Windows ........................................................................................................................................... 118
Controlling the Paramount with TheSkyX Professional Edition ............................................................ 118
Getting Started with TheSkyX Professional Edition .............................................................................. 119
The Bisque TCS Window ....................................................................................................................... 120
Status Messages (Status Text) .......................................................................................................... 121
Firmware Version and Mount Identifier ........................................................................................... 121
Parameters Tab ..................................................................................................................................... 121
Advanced Parameters ....................................................................................................................... 124
Commands Pop-up Menu ................................................................................................................. 131
Show Status Tab .................................................................................................................................... 135
Periodic Error Correction Tab ............................................................................................................... 137
Bisque TCS PEC Table Tab ................................................................................................................. 138
Compute PEC Curve Tab ................................................................................................................... 140
Collecting and Using Periodic Error Tracking Data ............................................................................... 142
Utilities Tab ....................................................................................................................................... 148
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Logging Tab ....................................................................................................................................... 164
Using ProTrack™ ....................................................................................................................................... 164
ProTrack Minimum Requirements .................................................................................................... 164
Getting Started with ProTrack .......................................................................................................... 165
Troubleshooting Mount Operation........................................................................................................... 166
USB Hubs and USB Extenders ............................................................................................................... 167
Controlling Multiple USB Devices with USB Hubs ............................................................................. 167
Windows and USB Port Power Settings ............................................................................................ 168
Appendix A: Installing the MKS 5000 USB Windows Driver ..................................................................... 170
Windows USB Driver Installation and Use ............................................................................................ 170
Accessing Windows Device Manager ................................................................................................ 171
Uninstalling the MKS 5000 Driver ..................................................................................................... 172
Appendix B: Paramount Technical Drawings ............................................................................................ 174
Computing Dome Offset Distance ........................................................................................................ 175
Appendix C: External Power Cable Sets .................................................................................................... 178
Apogee/QSI/SBIG ST-402/STF-8300 Model Camera External Power Cable Set Specifications ............ 178
SBIG ST-7 Series (5-Pin) External Power Cable Set Specifications ........................................................ 181
SBIG ST-L Series (6-Pin) External Power Cable Specs ............................................................................ 182
Finger Lakes Instruments External Cable Specs .................................................................................... 184
Generic External Power Cable Specs .................................................................................................... 185
Appendix D: Paramount Warranty ........................................................................................................... 187
MKS 5000 Warranty Replacement Procedure and Policy ..................................................................... 187
MKS 5000 Non-Warranty Replacement Procedure and Policy ............................................................. 188
Shipping Address ................................................................................................................................... 188
Appendix E: Revision History .................................................................................................................... 189
Index.......................................................................................................................................................... 192
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NEVER attempt to observe the Sun through your telescope! Without a specially designed solar filter, viewing the Sun – for even a fraction of a second – will cause instant, irreversible eye damage. When observing during the day, do not point the telescope near the Sun. Do not use TheSkyX Professional Edition’s automatic slew feature to find objects during the day.
Telescope Operation Disclaimer
Robotic telescope mounts do not have an unlimited range of movement. The telescope’s shape, the way it is mounted, or the addition of accessories can prevent it from pointing at particular parts of the sky. If the telescope is forced past these points, the telescope, its mounting, or accessories might be damaged.
TheSkyX Professional Edition includes telescope limit features that let you define these inaccessible positions; TheSkyX Professional Edition, or the mount’s control system, will try to prevent the telescope from entering or crossing them. This feature is provided as a convenience, not as a panacea. Since any telescope can run into its mechanical limits through accident, carelessness, or component failure, Software Bisque cannot be responsible for any damage to your telescope that occurs when using TheSkyX Professional Edition to control it.
Furthermore, Software Bisque cannot be held responsible for damage caused by plugging cables into electronic devices. We strongly recommend turning off all electronic devices (computers, mobile devices, telescopes, focusers, dew heaters, CCD cameras, etc.) before attaching any cabling or power supplies.
Sun Warning
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Feature
Software Bisque’s fourth
generation dual axis control system (MKS 5000™) provides precision, reliable performance.
Integration with TheSkyX Professional Edition for Mac or Windows control.
Camera Add On™ software provides single software telescope, camera, focuser, filter wheel, SBIG AO and rotator control.
Dome Add On™ keeps the motorized dome aligned with telescope.
- - -
TPoint Add On™ with Super Model™ and ProTrack™ provides
the same telescope pointing correction software that is used on most professional telescopes.
The Paramount Robotic Telescope System
Thank you for purchasing the Paramount Robotic Telescope System. The Paramount mount is an ultra­precision German equatorial mount (GEM) that is designed to deliver unmatched pointing, tracking and stability for amateur or professional astronomers in portable or permanent installations. These precision mechanics, when commanded TheSkyX Professional Edition, create a formidable imaging system that can help you achieve your most lofty observing goals.
This user guide covers the basic setup and use of the Paramount ME II, Paramount MX, Paramount MX+, and Paramount MYT model mounts, as well as how to control your mount using TheSkyX Professional Edition.
This document assumes you are familiar with many fundamental concepts in astronomy and are somewhat experienced using a telescope and or CCD camera in conjunction with a personal computer.
If a concept presented here is new to you, consider searching the Internet to find out more information about it. Unfortunately, there is simply no way that all the different facets of setting up and controlling a robotic telescope mount can be covered in a single document.
The table below lists the significant Paramount hardware, electronics and software features that are designed to help foster memorable and productive observing experiences.
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The Multi-OS and Six License Add On lets you install TheSkyX Professional Edition and related
Add Ons on up to six (6) different Mac and Windows computers.
Research-grade right ascension gears with seven (7) arcsecond or less peak to peak periodic error before training PEC.
Optimal periodic error correction curve fitting that can produce “seeing indifferent” periodic error curves.
Direct Guide™ allows optimal guiding without a guider cable.
Both the right ascension and declination axes include mechanical switches to change quickly switch between balancing the payload and tracking.
The Paramount ME II’s axes
may be locked in place by installing locking bolts (page 89).
The Paramount MX
includes a three position mechanical switch (page
50).
Each axis of the Paramount
MX+ and Paramount MYT has two separate mechanical switches (page
52).
Clutch-free worm block design
preserves the mount’s physical
orientation for accurate and repeatable TPoint modeled pointing and tracking.
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The control system supports a wide dynamic range for slewing and tracking rates. Virtually any slew speed is available between zero and several degrees per second.
Configurable acceleration and deceleration rates during slews.
Integrated homing sensors that allow rapid mount initialization to produce precision and reliable repeatability from night to night, or if power is lost.
Super-stable physical design that rapidly dampens external vibrations.
Configurable software slewing limits prevent damage to the mount and telescope by slowly decelerating to limit regions.
Clutch-free design ensures consistent pointing and tracking from night to night.
Fifty individual through the mount cabling conductors that help minimize the tedium of having CCD power, CCD signal, focus, video, dew heater, and other accessory cables routed to the telescope.
Integrated Cable Conduit™ allows
adding custom cables, wires through the mount.
Integrated rotating base allows calibrated azimuth adjustments to be made without affecting the mount’s altitude.
Integrated altitude scale to provide an accurate altitude starting point for polar alignment.
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Feature or Specification
Maximum payload capacity (total instrument capacity not including counterweights)
109 kg/240 lb.
41 kg/90 lb.
45 kg/100 lb.
23 kg/50 lb. Physical dimensions
See technical drawing references on page 174.
See technical drawing references on page 174.
See technical drawing references on page 174.
See technical drawing references on page 174.
Structural design is extremely rigid, even at maximum payload capacity.
Landing lights under the mount can be turned on to illuminate dark working areas during setup.
Two counterweights and one counterweight shaft included standard.
Oversized right ascension and declination bearings provide maximum stability.
20.3 cm (8 in.)
15.2 cm (6 in.)
15.2 cm (6 in.)
11 cm
(4.3 in.)
Integrated equatorial wedge for polar axis altitude adjustment.
14° – 68°
10° – 65°
10° – 65°
0° – 64°
High total instrument capacity to mount weight ratio.
109 kg/38 kg
(240 lb./84
lb.)
41 kg/23 kg
(90 lb./50 lb.)
45 kg/23 kg
(100 lb./50
lb.)
23 kg/15.4 kg (50 lb./34 lb.)
Power supply included with mount.
200W max
80W max
80W max
80W max
Paramount Model Comparison
The Paramount ME II, Paramount MX and Paramount MX+ are very similar in function and design. The table below lists the “significant” differences between these models.
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Feature or Specification
Versa-Plate dimensions and optional mounting accessories (page
60)
25 cm x 51 cm x
2.5 cm (9.9-in. x 20-in. x
1.0-in)
Four dovetail
mounting knobs.
Optional
mounting rails for attaching large OTAs.
16 cm x 41 cm x
1.8 cm (6.4-in. x 16-in x
0.72 in.)
Three
dovetail mounting knobs.
16 cm x 41 cm x
1.8 cm (6.4-in. x 16-in x
0.72 in.)
Three
dovetail mounting knobs.
15 cm x 35.6 cm x
1.6 cm (5.95-in. x 14-in x
0.63 in.)
Three
dovetail mounting knobs.
Number of Altitude Adjuster Thrust Knobs (page 106)
Four (4)
Two (2)
Two (2)
Two (2)
Routing custom cabling through the mount
See “Through the Mount Cabling” on page 35 for details.
See “Through the Mount Cabling” on page 35 for details.
See “Through the Mount Cabling” on page 35 for details.
See “Through the Mount Cabling” on page 35 for details.
Mechanical switch on right ascension and declination axes (page 73)
The Two Position Switch engages the worm with the gear, or permits payload balance by separating the worm from the gear.
The right ascension and declination axes can be locked in place for transport, or when adding payload, by installing two locking bolts on each axis.
The Three Position Switch engages the worm with the gear, permits payload balance by separating the worm from the gear, or locks the gears to prevent axis rotation during shipment or transport.
The Two Position Switch engages the worm with the gear, or permits payload balance by separating the worm from the gear.
The
Transportation Lock Knob can be
placed in a lock or balance position for transportation or adding payload by pulling and rotating a mechanical switch 90 degrees for each axis.
The Two Position Switch engages the worm with the gear, or permits payload balance by separating the worm from the gear.
The
Transportation Lock Knob can be
placed in a lock or balance position for transportation or adding payload by pulling and rotating a mechanical switch 90 degrees for each axis.
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Feature or Specification
Physical hard stops that permit tracking past the meridian without the optical tube assembly flipping sides
Configurable. Five different positions, located at a minimum of seven minutes to up to two (2) hours past the meridian.
Fixed, non­configurable hard stop position that allows a maximum of two (2) hours tracking past the meridian.
Fixed, non­configurable hard stop position that allows a maximum of two (2) hours tracking past the meridian.
Fixed, non­configurable hard stop position that allows a maximum of two (2) hours tracking past the meridian.
Base Plate Micro Levelers
See “Micro Levelers (Paramount ME II Only)” on page
108.
Not available.
Not available.
Not available.
Optional Accessory
Counterweight Shaft Extension Bar
8-in. long, 1.875-in.
wide
8-in. long, 1.5-in.
wide
Not available.
Counterweights
14 kg/30 lb. 18 kg/40 lb.
1.875-in. bore
9 kg/20 lb. 4.5 kg/10 lb.
1.5-in. bore
9 kg/20 lb. 4.5 kg/10 lb.
1.5-in. bore
Software Bisque Permanent Pier
48V 5AH Portable Power Supply
Power supply cables to use in
conjunction with the mount’s
built-in through the mount power cabling (page 177)
Base to Pier Adaptor Plate for mounting the Paramount to an existing pier
Polar alignment scope, mounting hardware, and cover
Not available.
Pyramid™ Portable Pier
Not available.
Paramount Mighty Tripod
Not available.
Not available.
Optional Accessories
The table below lists optional accessories for each model.
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Optional Accessory
Latitude Adjustment Wedge for use below 10 degrees and above about 64 degrees latitude
WiSky Wi-Fi Control
Absolute Encoders
Not available.
Not available.
Versa-Plate Spacers
Not available.
Not available.
Optional Software Add Ons and Databases
TheSkyX Professional Edition offers additional software Add Ons and astronomical databases.
For imaging system’s housed inside an automated astronomical dome, consider the optional
TheSkyX Professional Edition Dome Add On (http://www.bisque.com/dome) to automatically keep
the dome aligned to, and track with the mount. (The Dome Add On is included with all Paramount ME IIs shipped after January 2015.)
TheSkyX Professional Edition Database Add On (http://www.bisque.com/DatabaseAddOn) offers
over 200 GB of astronomical catalogs.
Getting Help
If you have questions about your Paramount, please first carefully review the information in this document. If you still cannot find an answer, please join the Software Bisque at www.bisque.com/support and click the Write a New Post link on the Paramount ME II Support Forum (http://www.bisque.com/sc/forums/114.aspx), the Paramount MX/MX+ Support Forum (http://www.bisque.com/sc/forums/96.aspx), or the Paramount MYT Support Forum to ask your question. The Software Bisque monitors this forum between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mountain Time Monday­Friday and tries to respond to questions within 5 business days (usually faster). Other knowledgeable community members are there to help outside regular office hours.
What You Need to Know
Successful operation of a Paramount requires a solid understanding of many basic astronomy concepts, a familiarity with operating a GEM, as well as an understanding TheSkyX Professional Edition.
If you are new to the Paramount, operating a GEM, or just getting into astronomy, please peruse the following section. Based on years of support feedback, even experienced observers often do not understand fundamental concepts as they relate to operating a Paramount.
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What are the differences between right ascension, azimuth and hour angle? Why does the meridian matter when operating a GEM? What exactly is synchronization? What is homing and what does it actually do? What is mount parking? How does atmospheric refraction affect mount performance? Why is polar alignment so important?
In addition to these basic questions, if you have never controlled a robotic GEM with TheSkyX Professional Edition, please carefully read the following sections and then use TheSkyX Professional Edition’s Telescope
Simulator feature before setting up, connecting to, and operating the Paramount.
Coordinate Systems
The three most common coordinate systems used when working with equatorial mountings are described below. Making sure you understand the differences between each system now will really help troubleshooting issues in the future.
The Horizon Coordinate System
The horizon or “horizontal” coordinate system is used to specify the position of celestial objects relative to the local horizon.
Figure 1: The horizon-based altitude and azimuth coordinate system.
Altitude
The altitude (alt) of an object is expressed as the number of degrees from the horizon (the ground at a far distance) to the object, and is always between minus 90 and plus 90 degrees. Objects that have a
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negative altitude are below the horizon. For example, the Sun just after sunrise is close to the horizon so it has an altitude of a couple of degrees, and just after sunset its altitude is minus one or two degrees.
Azimuth
The azimuth (az) of an object is generally reckoned from North, increasing in the clockwise direction, and ranges from 0 to 359 degrees. North is 0 degrees, east is 90 degrees, south is 180 degrees and west is 270 degrees.
When the Paramount is controlled by TheSkyX Professional Edition, attempting to slew the mount below the local horizon is not permitted and will result in an error message.
The Equatorial Coordinate System
The horizon coordinate system is not convenient for specifying the location of celestial objects because the horizon coordinates of stars and other objects are continuously changing with time (due to the rotation of the Earth).
The exception occurs with objects near the north and south celestial poles. These positions are unique since they are near to the axis of rotation of the Earth and therefore move only in small circular paths. Polaris, the North Star, for example, remains at a nearly constant altitude and azimuth. In the equatorial coordinate system, the coordinates of all celestial objects remain fixed* from hour-to-hour, day-to-day and so on.
An object's equatorial coordinates remain the same regardless of from where on Earth the object is viewed. This allows astronomers to create star maps that apply to any place on Earth, or publish the anticipated position of an upcoming comet so that astronomers everywhere know where it is located among the stars.
The equatorial coordinate system used to specify the positions of celestial objects is directly analogous to the latitude-longitude coordinate system used on Earth. In fact, if you were to expand the latitude and longitude grid of the Earth so that it is out beyond all stars, you would have a sphere with identical geometry to the celestial sphere.
We suppose that all stars and deep-sky objects are located on a very large sphere (out beyond all stars). We call this the celestial sphere. For purposes of describing the positions of celestial objects, we consider all stars and deep sky objects to be on the celestial sphere, when actually they are all positioned at varying distances from the Earth.
* Equatorial coordinates change over long periods of time due to precession (wobbling of the Earth). TheSkyX computes this change in stars’ position for the current date. Precession, however, does not change the relative positions of objects with respect to one another.
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Right Ascension
The geometry of the right ascension (RA) lines on the celestial sphere is the same as the longitude lines on Earth. Longitude lines divide the Earth into 360 degrees. Right ascension lines divide the celestial sphere into 24 hours, based on one revolution of Earth. Therefore one hour of right ascension equals 15 degrees (360 divided by 24). See the definition of Local Sidereal Time for additional information on why 24 hours are used for right ascension instead of 360 degrees.
Zero degrees longitude passes through Greenwich, England and is the designated reference line for longitude. What, then, is the reference line for zero hour’s right ascension? Astronomers use the vernal equinox, the location where the Sun crosses the celestial equator during its apparent annual motion against the background stars, as a "starting point" for right ascension.
The term "right ascension" comes from the fact that when viewed from the equator, all stars rise (or ascend) at right angles to the horizon, so their times of rising are called their times of right ascension.
Figure 2: Right ascension and declination relative to the celestial sphere.
Declination
The declination (dec) lines on the celestial sphere are similar to latitude lines on Earth, ranging from –90 degrees to +90 degrees. The “declination” of an object is the angle measured from the celestial equator (0 degrees declination) along a meridian line through the object. Polaris, the North Star has a declination of just over 89 degrees so it is very close to the north celestial pole.
Hour Angle
Hour angle (HA) is measured from the meridian westward, along the celestial equator and uses the same units as right ascension (hours, minutes, and seconds). A celestial object on the meridian is located at hour angle 0. Six hours of time later, the object is located at hour angle +6. Twelve hours later, when the object rises, its hour angle is –6 h.
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Hour angle can be used to describe a telescope’s mechanical orientation with respect to a horizon-based hemisphere. For Paramount mounts with AutoHoming™, when the mount finds home, the home position is a fixed, mechanical mount orientation. In the northern hemisphere, when homing is successful, the mount always points to hour angle 2 and declination 0.
Smaller hour angles equate to positions of optimal observing, so your telescope will probably spend a great deal of the time pointing to and tracking objects near hour angle zero (or, near the meridian).
Note that TheSkyX Professional Edition can be used to configure the Paramount’s “flip hour angle” (page
122) in order to maximize the length of time an object can be tracked past the meridian.
Local Sidereal Time
Local sidereal time (LST) is always equal to the instantaneous right ascension of the local meridian. When you know the LST, you can look at star maps and determine which objects are near the meridian (those with a right ascension close to the LST). For example, if the LST is 6:10:00, this means that stars with a right ascension of about 6 hours are visible along the meridian.
If everyone reckoned time based on the Sun crossing the meridian, then each longitude on earth would have a different time of day. That means noon, or the time the Sun crosses the meridian, would come a few minutes earlier for someone living 60 miles to the east. Only those people living at the same longitude would share a common time.
In the late 1800’s time zones were established to minimize the problem of having different time in populous regions. The time within these zones is called zone time. Zone time places all locations on Earth into various time zones. By definition, time zone zero is at zero degrees longitude, and the time zone increases by one hour every 15 degrees longitude moving east, or decreases by one hour moving west.
The Paramount relies on TheSkyX Professional Edition having the correct time zone for your observing site. When TheSkyX Professional Edition’s time zone is not correct, the position of the telescope cross hairs will be offset by the time zone hour error when viewing horizon-based Sky Charts.
Atmospheric Refraction
The effects of atmospheric refraction on the position of celestial objects, as well as its effect on the sidereal tracking rate, are often overlooked or even ignored by many amateur astronomers.
The refraction nuisance (and other system errors like tube flexure) means the “sidereal tracking rate” is simply not good enough to precisely track objects. Refraction also displaces the position of the celestial pole and makes precise polar alignment more difficult.
Some other interesting and significant facts about how refraction affects an object’s apparent position include:
For a sea-level site, the refraction at 45 degrees zenith distance (ZD) is about 60 arcseconds (one
arcminute).
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For optimal performance, the equatorial axis of a GEM must be aligned to the refracted pole to within 100 arcseconds.
If the mount’s equatorial axis is not “closely” aligned with the celestial pole…
Stars will drift in of the field of view, mostly in declination; quickly when polar
alignment is particularly poor.
When you tell TheSkyX Professional Edition where the mount is pointing, through a
process called “synchronization” (page 25), the synchronization results will be incorrect, or “skewed” by the amount of the polar alignment error. For example, if
the polar axis is ten degrees “low” in altitude, then the resulting synchronization positions computed by TheSkyX Professional Edition will be off by this same amount in declination. The result is that the mount will not point with any accuracy or repeatability.
Except low down in the sky, the refraction goes roughly as the tangent to ZD, so at ZD = 70 degrees,
or, at 20 degrees above the horizon, it is up to 165 arcseconds. (It reaches a 1800 arcseconds, or
0.5 degrees at the horizon.)
Refraction is proportional to pressure, so at high-altitude sites the refraction comes down
significantly. For example at Mauna Kea, 4,205 meters above sea level, the refraction is about 60 percent of the sea level amount.
Refraction is roughly inversely proportional to absolute temperature, so at –5C the refraction is
about 10 percent more than at 20C.
Humidity has little effect in the optical, though it matters a lot at radio wavelengths. The color of the observed object matters, blue being refracted a few arcseconds more than red
at ZD 70.
When you use your Paramount to take long, unguided exposures at modest or longer focal lengths, refraction becomes an important source of tracking error that is not taken into account in the standard sidereal tracking rate.
TPoint can be employed to take care of the atmospheric refraction details for you.
TPoint’s Super Model feature and Polar Alignment Report automatically determines the position
of the refracted pole and give recommendations on how to proceed, including how much to rotate the altitude and azimuth knobs when adjustment is necessary.
It accounts for and applies refraction when acquiring telescope calibration data as well as corrects
the telescope’s position when the mount is slewed.
TPoint’s ProTrack™ feature can be used to apply tracking corrections to the mount based on the
point calibration data.
Polar Alignment Basics
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The mount’s “TPoint unassisted pointing accuracy” will be disappointing, especially
when the OTA switches sides of the pier.
These symptoms may make you frustrated with the performance of your Paramount and leave you wondering, “What am I doing wrong?” Mastering the polar alignment techniques described below (or using your trusted method) is critical.
Step 1
Use the “Rough Polar Alignment Method” (page 113) to align the mount’s polar axis to within five arcminutes of the pole, even during daylight.
Step 2
If the pole is visible, and you have a polar alignment scope (page 115), use it to roughly align the mount to the celestial pole.
-Or-
Use the TPoint Add On to quantify the mount’s polar alignment error. The TPoint Add On’s Polar Alignment Report indicates exactly how much the altitude adjuster (page 93) and azimuth adjuster knobs (page 93) need to be rotated so that both axes are aligned to the refracted pole.
Figure 3: Paramount aligned with the refracted celestial pole in the northern hemisphere.
Software Bisque recommends the following polar alignment methods to ensure efficient and optimal polar alignment.
See “How To Polar Align” on page 112 for the best ways to achieve optimal polar alignment.
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Mount synchronization is one of the least understood and most confusing processes for new Paramount users; understanding exactly what homing a Paramount does is a very close
second. Please carefully read the following to avoid falling into the “my mount is not homing to the correct position” trap.
The home position is located at hour angle 2 and 0 degrees declination. The
home position is a fixed, mechanical orientation and cannot change; it is defined by the physical position of the gears relative to fixed internal
homing sensors. See “Physically Marking the Home Position” on page 24 for a simple procedure to demonstrate the mount’s absolute home
position.
If the mount is not physically pointing to approximately hour angle 2 and 0
degrees declination after finding home, then either the Versa-Plate is mounted incorrectly, the mount’s polar axis is not oriented north-south.
If, after homing is complete, the coordinates of the telescope cross hairs displayed by TheSkyX Professional Edition indicate that the mount is pointing anywhere other than the home position, then either TheSkyX Professional Edition’s location, date, time or time zone is not correct, or the mount has been synchronized incorrectly. See “Synchronization” on page 25 for more information.
The Paramount cannot slew and will not track at the sidereal rate until after the mount is successfully homed.
Homing
Finding the home position, or “homing” the Paramount is an automated initialization process. When the Paramount control system receives the “find home position command”, the mount’s right ascension and
declination axes are slewed to an absolute, mechanically fixed orientation.
Homing must be performed every time the Paramount is powered on so that the control system can establish the mount’s position and restore the synchronization information, when possible.
Once the mount is homed, and the previous session’s synchronization information is applied by TheSkyX Professional Edition, the telescope will know its orientation and have the same pointing accuracy as the last observing session.
When a Find Home command is issued from the hand controller (by double-tapping the button on the end of the joystick handle, see page 108 for details) or TheSkyX Professional Edition (page 119), the mount
slews to the home position and zeros the control system’s “position registers”. When the mount is
subsequently synchronized on a star, the computed hour angle and declination of the home indices are stored in the internal flash of the Paramount’s control system.
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Subsequent observing sessions use TheSkyX Professional Edition’s local sidereal time to determine the mount’s equatorial coordinates. Make sure the computer’s clock is accurate (page 29).
Homing provides the following benefits.
Once a mount is aligned with the celestial pole and homed, repeatable and accurate pointing from
night to night can be achieved using TheSkyX Professional Edition and the TPoint Add On.
After homing, the mount “knows” its orientation and therefore cannot be slewed into the pier
(see “Software Slew Limits” on page 159).
The control system’s periodic error correction (PEC) uses this information to calibrate the control
system’s internal PEC table with the orientation of the worm gear.
The mount’s orientation can be restored after power outages or other communication
malfunctions.
The home position can be used to align the polar axis to the celestial pole (see “Rough Polar
Alignment Method” on page 113).
Labeling the Home Position on the Sky Chart
Synchronizing the mount (page 25) on the wrong star or configuring TheSkyX Professional Edition to use the wrong location, date, time or time zone for your location means the Paramount will be “lost in space”. The telescope cross hairs will appear in the “wrong” place on the Sky Chart and the mount will apparently not slew to the correct coordinates when commanded to do so. If the coordinates of the telescope cross hairs do not match the actual physical orientation of the Paramount, or it does not slew to the correct coordinates, you will be scratching your head wondering what is wrong. The next step is to post a support question asking, “Why is my mount pointing to the wrong coordinates?”
For this reason, Software Bisque strongly recommends creating a label that shows the location of the mount’s absolute home position (page 149) directly on the Sky Chart to provide a constant visual reminder of where the telescope cross hairs must be after finding home.
If, after homing the mount, the telescope cross hairs do not end up very near hour angle 2 and declination 0 (or hour angle –2.0, declination 0 in the southern hemisphere), either TheSkyX Professional Edition’s site information is wrong or the mount has been synchronized on the wrong star.
Remember, the absolute home position of the Paramount cannot change. So, if the mount’s relative home position is wrong (or the telescope cross hairs do not appear in the correct location on the Sky Chart), please double check the synchronization (page 25) and TheSkyX Professional Edition’s location, date and time settings for your location before submitting a support request.
To Label the Home Position in Software
The following procedure assumes this is a first time mount synchronization.
1. From TheSkyX Professional Edition, choose the Location command from the Input menu and make
sure the settings on the Custom tab match your observing site.
2. Choose the Verify TheSkyX Time command from the Tools menu to make sure you computer’s
time matches an independent time source.
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3. Choose the Connect command from the Telescope menu. The mount Status text will show Not
Homed.
4. Choose the Find Home command from the Start Up pop-up menu on the Telescope window. The
mount will slew to the home position. The mount Status text will show Not Synced.
5. Choose the Turn Tracking Off command from the Tools pop-up menu on the Telescope window.
Turn tracking off to pin the mount to this position.
6. Choose the TPoint Add On command from the Telescope menu.
7. Then turn off the Apply Pointing Corrections checkbox on the Setup tab and click Close. TPoint
will change the position of the telescope cross hairs based on the current model and we want the label to show the “unmodeled” cross hair position.
8. Click on the center of the telescope cross hair and note the exact altitude and azimuth of this
position. This is the horizon-based coordinate of the home position.
9. Choose the My Chart Elements command from the Input menu.
10. Click the Add Object button (the upper-left most button on the Manage tab), then click the Add
and Edit button to add an object to the Sky Chart.
11. On the Add/Edit Chart Element window, turn on the Horizon radio button, then enter the azimuth
(Azm) and altitude (Alt) of the telescope cross hair. In the Label text box, enter the text Absolute Home Position and then click OK.
The Sky Chart now shows a label at the absolute home position of the mount. To double-check the accuracy of this position, choose the Find Home command. Note that, when compared to the absolute home position, the position of the telescope cross hairs on the Sky Chart will also be affected by the following:
Synchronizing the mount on a star introduces small pointing errors. A TPoint pointing model will change the position of the telescope cross hairs based on the pointing
calibration data.
The above two items necessarily introduce a small offset between the mount’s absolute home position and the position of the telescope cross hairs after finding home (once the mount has been synchronized and a TPoint model is established).
Physically Marking the Home Position
If, after finding the home position, the cross hairs that are displayed on the Sky Chart are at the wrong coordinates, one or more of the following is probably true:
The mount is not aligned to the celestial pole. (Believe it or not, Software Bisque has had several
support cases claiming that the mount could not point the telescope correctly, only to discover the Paramount’s polar axis was mounted in the wrong direction; for example, the polar axis was pointing south in the northern hemisphere, in other words, 180 degrees off.)
The optical tube assembly is mounted “backwards” on the Versa-Plate. In TheSkyX Professional Edition’s location, date, time, time zone or Daylight Saving Time settings
are wrong for your observing site.
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The wrong star was centered in the eyepiece when the mount was synchronized. Improper
synchronization results in the telescope cross hairs to be displayed at the wrong spot on the Sky Chart. And this error is particularly apparent after the mount is homed.
Many come to the incorrect conclusion when the telescope cross hairs on the Sky Chart are wrong, there must be something wrong with the homing process. Homing is generally very reliable and rarely fails. The procedure below demonstrates that, after homing, the Paramount is always in the same mechanical position.
1. Home the mount.
2. On each axis, place a piece of masking tape over the rotating portion and cut the tape between
the rotating parts of the mount. The “vertical” edges of the tape mark the home position in that axis.
3. Use the joystick (or TheSkyX Professional Edition) to slew the mount to any orientation.
4. Double-tap the joystick to find home again.
Figure 4: Marking the Paramount’s home position.
The Paramount will dutifully return to the identical position in each axis.
This “homing repeatability test” will hopefully provide confidence that, after finding home, the mount is always pointing to hour angle 2 and declination 0 (in the northern hemisphere), and will help narrow down the actual causes of pointing errors (most commonly, an invalid synchronization, incorrect settings in TheSkyX Professional Edition, or poor polar alignment).
Synchronization
Synchronizing (or “syncing”) the Paramount initializes the control system to a specific equatorial coordinate. In short, you tell the mount, “You are here!” Synchronization involves centering a known star
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Consider using a GPS to also obtain your site’s latitude and longitude. Make sure the time zone and daylight saving options are correct for your location (a GPS does not supply this information).
in the eyepiece, identifying this star in TheSkyX Professional Edition then choosing the Synchronize command from the Start Up pop-up menu on the Telescope window.
Once the Paramount has been synchronized on a star, TheSkyX Professional Edition uses the equatorial coordinates of the star to determine the mount’s mechanical orientation and software slew limits. TheSkyX Professional Edition stores this synchronization position so that the mount’s orientation can be restored in subsequent observing sessions.
In theory, after a permanently mounted Paramount is aligned with the celestial pole (page 20), it need be synchronized only once. In practice, the mount will have to be synchronized:
Each time the mount is setup for portable use. When the mount’s polar alignment is changed. When the optical tube assembly (OTA) is changed.
Synchronization is an essential first step to “normal” mount operation. If the mount is not synchronized correctly, the actual orientation the telescope will not match the simulated telescope’s position on the Sky Chart. And, when commanded to slew from TheSkyX Professional Edition, the telescope will end up pointing at the wrong place in the sky.
Best Synchronization Practices
Do not synchronize on stars near the celestial pole – The celestial pole represents a point of
“singularity” on the celestial sphere. As a best practice, do not synchronize on Polaris (in the
northern hemisphere) and avoid stars above 60 degrees declination or so.
Use brighter, easily identifiable stars – Fainter stars can be hard to identify, making
synchronization more difficult.
Step by Step Synchronization
Carefully follow the procedure below to ensure that synchronization is performed correctly. If you make a mistake and point the telescope at the wrong star, for example, see “Starting Synchronization Over” on page 29 to restore the default settings and try again.
1. Set the computer’s clock accurately. Accurate time is crucial for consistent, accurate pointing and
synchronization. Consider using an Internet time server or a GPS-based clock to regularly update your computer’s clock and keep it accurate. See “The Local Celestial Meridian” on page 29 for more information.
2. Choose the Location command from the Input menu to set the observing site’s latitude, longitude,
time zone and Daylight Saving option if necessary.
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Errors in latitude “appear” to TPoint as a vertical misalignment in the polar axis,
and will pollute synchronization (and the TPoint model, if one is in place).
If your time zone is off by one hour or more, then pointing will be off by the
same amount.
If the wrong Daylight Saving Option is selected, then time will be off by an hour
(or more) and the mount will not slew to the correct position.
3. Choose the Connect command from the Telescope menu.
4. Choose the Find Home command from the Start Up pop-up menu on the Telescope window.
5. Locate an easily identifiable, bright star to use for synchronization.
Partial clouds or twilight can make this task more difficult than it might seem. The Paramount can be synchronized to virtually any position on the celestial sphere on the east or west side of the meridian (See “Best Synchronization Practice” on page 26).
6. Center the bright star in the eyepiece, photo or video display using the joystick on the hand
controller or TheSkyX Professional Edition’s Motion Controls on the Telescope window.
7. From TheSkyX Professional Edition, enter the name of the bright star in the Search For text box
and click the Find button on the Telescope window to identify the star. Or, click on the star if it is visible on the Sky Chart.
8. Choose the Synchronize command on the Start Up pop-up menu in Telescope tab. When the
Telescope Synchronization window appears, click the Sync button.
The mount is now synchronized on the bright star.
Session to Session Pointing Repeatability
In subsequent observing sessions, TheSkyX Professional Edition computes the current equatorial and horizon coordinates of the telescope using the stored hour angle and declination of the mount and the local sidereal time. In fact, the Paramount’s pointing accuracy should be virtually identical from session to session.
Please verify the repeatability of the Paramount pointing before proceeding (this test assumes that the mount’s polar axis is aligned with the celestial pole):
1. Turn the mount off.
2. Turn the mount on (this terminates communication between TheSkyX Professional Edition and
the Paramount).
3. Home the mount.
4. From TheSkyX Professional Edition, choose the Connect command from the Telescope menu. The
telescope cross hairs appear at the relative home position (see page 149 for an explanation of the difference between the absolute and relative home position).
5. Slew the mount to the star you just synced on. The mount should slew back to this star; that is, it
should return to the same position in the eyepiece, video or CCD detector. In practice, there may be small pointing errors that are introduced by mirror flop, or slight differences in time, so the star may not be in exactly the same position, but it should be very close.
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Note that during the process of polar alignment, you will be required to synchronize the mount several times (each time the mount is adjusted to a new altitude and/or azimuth). For permanent installations, once the mount is sufficiently aligned with the celestial pole, it should not have to be synchronized again unless the optical tube assembly or the telescope’s physical mounting changes.
Portable setups must synchronize the mount each session, or, if a TPoint pointing model will be used, a Portable Recalibration, as described in the TPoint Add On User Guide, must be performed first.
Making Sure Synchronization Is Correct
The first step to ensure the Paramount is properly synchronized is to look at the hour angle and the declination of the homing sensors reported by TheSkyX Professional Edition.
When the mount has been properly synchronized, TheSkyX Professional Edition’s relative position of the home sensors should approximately match the absolute position of the home sensors. Remember, the mount’s absolute home position cannot change, so TheSkyX Professional Edition’s reported home position must be near hour angle 2 and declination 0 in the northern hemisphere. If TheSkyX Professional Edition reports a relative home position that is significantly different from hour angle 2 and declination 0, then
the mount’s synchronization is wrong. A small difference is okay, it just means that your telescope/eyepiece/camera is not perfectly aligned with the mount’s axes.
See “Starting Synchronization Over” on page 29 to restore the default settings and resynchronize the
mount.
Note that the above description assumes the Paramount is located in the northern hemisphere and the Versa-Plate is mounted in the standard orientation (page 65). When the Versa-Plate is mounted in the wide orientation, then reported home position will be 90 degrees from hour angle 2.
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Figure 5: The absolute and relative homing sensor positions.
Paramount User Guide
The Sky Chart provides graphical feedback to help verify the mount is synchronized correctly and identifies the regions near the meridian that have unique behavior when tracking or slewing. While TheSkyX Professional Edition is connected to the Paramount, two regions are drawn near the meridian. If the regions are centered on the meridian, then the synchronization is most likely correct.
Purple Region
When the optical tube assembly is on the east side of the mount (pointing to the west), the purple region (that is, the region on the east side of the meridian) indicates the area where the mount can be slewed beyond the meridian without flipping sides. If the OTA is on the east side, and you attempt to slew beyond this region, the mount automatically flips sides.
Red Region
When the optical tube assembly is on the west side of the mount, the red region indicates how far past the meridian the mount can track before encountering a software or hardware limit. If the OTA remains on the west side and the mount tracks to the tracking limit, then tracking is turned off. Note that the Paramount will not automatically flip sides of the meridian and continue tracking in this situation. The red region also indicates the area where, when the OTA is on west side, the mount can be slewed past the meridian without flipping sides.
Synchronization Checklist
Make sure that the computer’s time is accurate, and that TheSkyX Professional Edition is
configured to use the computer’s clock.
Verify that synchronization is performed using the star listed in TheSkyX Professional Edition’s
Object Information Report. When clicking the Sky Chart to identify an object, the Object Information Report can list other objects that are “near” the mouse click position.
In general, avoid synchronizing on a star that is located near the meridian. Avoid synchronizing on stars above 60 degrees declination.
Starting Synchronization Over
If you are ever unsure about synchronization, you can start over by:
1. Choose the Connect command from the Telescope menu.
2. Choose the Bisque TCS command from the Tools pop-up on the Telescope window.
3. On the Bisque TCS window, click the Utilities.
4. Select Synchronization History on the left side of the window.
5. Click the Clear button to clear the existing synchronization.
The Local Celestial Meridian
The local celestial meridian is a great circle on the celestial sphere that runs from the zenith directly overhead to a point due South on the horizon, continuing around to the nadir (directly below) and back up to the zenith. This line divides the celestial sphere into east and west hemispheres.
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From TheSkyX Professional Edition, expand Reference Lines and Photos in the Chart Elements window and turn on the Meridian checkbox.
Figure 6: TheSkyX Professional Edition with the meridian reference line turned on.
The arcing line in Figure 6 represents the local celestial meridian. When the Paramount is at the home position, the telescope must be pointing to the west side of the meridian, near hour angle 2 and declination 0 in the northern hemisphere. (Or, hour angle –2.0 and declination 0 in the southern hemisphere).
If the optical tube assembly is not pointing to the home position, or if the telescope cross hairs in the TheSkyX Professional Edition indicate that the home position is anywhere else (by more than a few arcminutes or so), then one or more is the case:
TheSkyX Professional Edition is not configured correctly for your location. The Versa-Plate is mounted in the wide configuration (page 65). The Versa-Plate is mounted 180 degrees off.
Before continuing, make sure that TheSkyX Professional Edition’s location, date, time, time zone, and Daylight Saving Option are correct. Also make sure the Versa-Plate is mounted in the correct orientation before proceeding.
Maintaining Accurate Time
The Paramount can provide very accurate all sky pointing during a single session without an accurate time
base (that is, if the computer’s clock is accurate to one or two minutes or so). However, TheSkyX Professional Edition must make decisions on how to slew to various positions in the sky based on the local
time. For example, an object that is on the east of the meridian may require the telescope be slewed to west side of the pier and vice versa. So, maintaining accurate time is important.
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